Pat's POV
They didn't ask too many questions until we got inside and sat down. Then they bombarded me with questioning, all of it expected but overwhelming.
"What's going on?" Marcus asked.
"Is she okay?" Tash questioned.
"Let me just explain what I know, okay?" I insisted.
They all nodded in agreement.
"Look guys, something happened to Georgia. She hasn't explained anything but I know someone hurt her" I told them trying not to break down for the second time today.
"No" Marcus said in disbelief, shaking his head. I could tell he was about to get a bit rowdy. His foot tapping the floor at a vigorous pace and hands covering his mouth in shock.
"Hurt her how?" Tash asked.
"Well she called me from an alley way to pick her up. When I got there she wasn't in a good state. And then this morning, she was covered in bruises" I explained.
It was hard to explain to them what was happening when I didn't have all the details myself. I wanted to be able to say to them "this is what happened". But I wasn't going to push that out for George.
"I can't believe this happened" Grace said.
All of them were in a state of shock. Marcus becoming more angry with the more he heard. I could tell he was going to snap at any second.
"Do you guys remember anything about last night?" I asked Grace and Tash.
"Well we were leaving the bar and then we heard a crash from inside the bar and then someone flew through the window and everyone was running everywhere. People were fighting everywhere and police sirens were going. The crowd pushed Georgia in the opposite direction and it was too strong for us to move that way. We ended up a few streets away and police men told us to leave the area and wouldn't let us go back that way" Tash explained.
"Wow that's a lot" Marcus said still in shock.
"Is that really what happened?" I asked them. I just felt sick from hearing how it went down. She was alone with nothing around to help her. I just felt awful.
She would have been so scared, in streets she hadn't seen before in the dark. Trying to find a way back to safety.
All while I was at home, doing nothing to help her. I felt so useless. I was so frustrated with myself for not protecting her. I made that promise to her and there was nothing I could have done.
But I knew something was wrong the moment she didn't pick up my call.
"Exactly how I remember it" Grace backed her up.
"Yeah then we waited for a while with police but they said there was nothing we could do. They did they couldn't help because they had too much other stuff to handle" Tash told us.
"And she wasn't drunk at all, we knew she would know what to do" Grace added.
"She wasn't drunk?" I asked cautiously, not wanting to hear the answer.
"No, why?" Grace asked worriedly, reading the look on my face and knowing it wasn't good.
"She probably remembers all of it. Every second of what happened to her. I can't sit here and do nothing I can't do it" I said shooting up from my seat.
Marcus instantly shot up as well and tried to calm me down.
"Mate calm down" he told me.
"No this is my fault. I should have known something like this was gonna happen" I said frustratedly as I began pacing around the room.
"Pat this is not your fault. No body could have known this would happen" Tash tried to calm me down as well but all the rage inside of me became too much.
"Mate you can't get angry. I wanted to believe me but George needs you to be here. She doesn't need you pacing around the house blaming yourself for this" Marcus told me.
It didn't completely settle me down but it definitely helped. I knew I had to put it all behind me and just be there for Georgia.
She needed me to be there and I wanted to be there. I knew I couldn't leave her. I had to keep her safe now more than ever.
"Okay" I stopped resisting after a while and just sat down on the couch.
"I think we have to call Josh, and her parents and then we'll go from there" Marcus suggested.
We all nodded in agreement but all secretly dreaded the burden of having to break the news to her family. Especially Josh who lived all the way in Sydney.
His first reaction was never going to be good. I mostly just felt sorry for him that he was in a different state, unable to do anything. He had already flown over after her accident. I wasn't sure if he would be able to have more time off.
But I wanted him to. With the three of us together, I knew we could definitely get some answers and get George the justice she deserved.
Because no amount of violence was ever okay. Assault, sexual assault, all serious accusations that we were definitely sure about. Whoever did it was going to pay and I wasn't afraid of making that happen.
That was of course if Georgia let me. Ultimately it was her decision what to do from this point on. But she was sound asleep, recovering from the state a found her in just hours ago.
.......
A few hours later and George hadn't come out of her room still. I hadn't seen her since I lay her down in bed after the shower.
The four of us had been sitting on the couch, lifeless. The lack of energy between the group made the time tick by even slower. Not much was said to one another as all we could do was wonder.
All of us had the same concerns and aspirations for this situation. But nothing could be done until we talked to her parents and ultimately her.
When I got the chance to speak to her, I wasn't going to waste it. I knew I had her trust the moment she collapsed into my arms.
And if I was that person for her than that would be it. I wasn't going to leave her side until she started getting back on her feet.
But there was a long road ahead of us. This was only the beginning. We were still waiting on the couch in my living room, all wanting the same answers.
It was hard to contain myself during the time we had to wait. To not burst into her room and wrap her up in my arms. It was all I felt like doing but I knew she needed her rest. And so did everyone else.
They had to keep reminding me why I was still sitting there, waiting and waiting for something to happen. The constant reminder that it was for her was what kept me driven.
"It's been ages. I'm gonna go check on her" I told them.
"I think that's a good idea" Marcus agreed.
I stood up off my place on the couch and began walking towards the bedroom.
I started feeling the nerves deep down in my chest, rising up to the surface as I got closer to the door. When I reached the door of the bedroom. I opened it slowly and saw her lying there, still and awake.
"George?" I said quietly, hoping for a response.
I looked at her from one side of the bed as she finally sat up on the other.
"Georgia please talk to me, I just want to help you" I told her.
I walked around to her side of the bed and crouched down in front of her. I held her hands as I watched the tears fall down her cheeks.
As she sat up, I got another glimpse of her injuries. Purple welts were scattered across her abdomen like a disease. She had to take shallow breaths because it hurt for her to breathe.
"Where does it hurt?" I asked her hoping I could help in some way. She didn't answer.
"Georgia what happened?" I asked her.
I didn't want to pressure her into talking about it, but I couldn't sit there and let the person who did it to her live their life. While she was suffering, wondering why it happened to her.
"I got lost. I didn't have anything with me but my phone" she explained. Her voice was shaky, and deeper that probably aligned with the injuries on her neck.
"Okay" I said calmly. I thought if I could get as much information as possible, maybe I could help. To take the next step. To actually make a move and do something. It was killing me having to wait.
"I saw some...people. I walked towards them but I realised they weren't going to help me. And then I started walking away. That's when t-they caught up" She said as she broke down in tears.
"It's okay, you don't have to say anymore" I told her and pulled her into my chest. Holding her head gently as she sobbed in my arms.
I knew she couldn't say anything else. I didn't want to hear anymore about it. It was enough for me to know how it happened and what I could do about it.
I felt her body completely relax under me as she latched onto me, tucking her head into my neck.
We sat like that for a few minutes. Finding myself in a similar position to that morning.
Then she sat up and looked at me again. I looked into her beautiful brown eyes, red and splotchy all around.
Perfect shaped tears rolled down her smooth cheeks and onto her shirt. Her eyes were looking in mine, locked together.
"Are they here?" She asked me as she let go of my hand.
"They are ready to see you when you are" I told her.
I just assumed she had heard me talking to people and figured out who it was by the sound of their voices. The fact that she seemed eager to see them gave me confidence that we were okay for the moment.
"I want to" she replied. She stood up off the bed and walked through my bedroom door and to the living room.
She walked slowly to them with her head down. I could tell she was taking in heavy breaths. Her legs moved slowly, adjusting with the large amount of movement she had done since last night.
I trailed behind her, making sure I was there if she were to fall accidentally or just to back her up. I knew she would be nervous getting all the attention from our friends.
It wasn't the kind of attention you sought after. It was the attention you dreaded. Because it was more like pity than sympathy.
When she turned he corner into the lounge room, they all stood up with worried looks as she entered the room.
Tash and Grace came running over to her and engulfed her in a hug. Marcus came over to me and shook my hand. Gesturing the joyous moment that was unfolding before us. When Tash and Grace we're finished hugging, Marcus gave her a big hug that made her smile.
God that smile. Her smile was something I hadn't seen in a while and I missed it.
It was only the slightest of smiles. But it was enough to make me feel instantly relaxed.
Her smile may seem regular but it makes me feel things no other smile could ever do. A little high, giving me a trance, a momentary bliss to a melancholy day. Her smile is an experience.
Have you ever had a hard week, where you consider yourself the unluckiest person at that point of time. And then see that one person who has this beautiful radiant glow on her face.
And a smile, so infectious that it makes everyone around her smile back. This was that sort of week.
Her innocent smile which makes you feel the trust she has in you. Which makes all your negative feelings to be converted into positiveness and which just literally makes your day no matter what happened. That's what sort of smile she has.
I knew that seeing that smile would make me happy, no matter the circumstances. And I was right, that's exactly what it did.
...........
A/N
Sorry everyone for the late chapter! Had a bit of a busy week and struggled to make the editing cut! I'm hoping it won't happen again and I'll get back onto my usual routine very soon!
Anyway! I hope you enjoyed that chapter and the end with George finally smiling again. Hopefully this is the start of a better journey for her!
If you did enjoy, please please please vote and comment! It would mean so so much to me!
Thanks everyone!